Machine for playing games of chance.



. Patented Dec. l7, l90l. G. MBMULLEN. MACHINE FOR PLAYING GAMES Ol CHANCE.

(Application filed July 20, 1901.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MCMULLEN, OF PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOSEPH CHARLES, OF PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

MACHINE FOR PLAYlNG GAMES OF CHANGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,365, dated December 17, 1901. Application filed July 20, 1901. Serial No. 69,072. (No model.)

T9 to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MoMULLEN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at No. 19 Oowle street, in the city of Perth,

Western Australia, have invented a certain new and Improved Machine for Playing a Game of Chance, to be called McMullens Numerator; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, first, to a new game of chance for the obtainment or deciding of a desired result by a system of absolute chance, and, secondly, to the apparatus employed for efiecting same. p

The apparatus is arranged and constructed so as to cause or result in the exposure of numerals or signs by a system of chance and so that the exposure of any specific or predeterz 5 mined numeral or sign cannot be controlled or obtained by any interested person or by premeditated design.

In playing the game the exposure of any number is placed beyond the power of either those concerned in the operation of the game or others, and the system evolved by the use of this invention possesses an element of chance to as absolute a degree as is possible.

In order to fully explain my invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in conjunction with the attached drawings, and in such drawings- 1 Figure 1 shows a side sectional elevation of the machine, Fig. 2 being a view of same as seen from behind and with the backing removed, while Fig. 3 is afront or full face view.

In the drawings, A represents the cylinders, upon whose peripheries are printed, placed, or otherwise shown the ten numerals, as 0 to 9, such cylinders being loosely mounted, so that they revolve upon the fixed shaft, as A which is made common to all the cylinders. This shaft A is held in position by the bearings, as A which latter are secured to the body-frame A of the appliance and as shown in the drawings. Each of these cylinders has secured to it flanges or rim projections, as B, which act as pulleys for driving such cylinders. On the cylinders and at the opposite side of such wheels, as B, are attached or secured the ratchet-wheels, as O, which latter are constructed with serrations, recesses, projections, or equivalent formations corresponding in exact number with the number of the numerals or signs on the periphery of its own individual cylinder. These ratchet-wheels are so arranged that they engage at any point with the arrestingpawls or detents, as D, which latter are mounted upon their common pivot or axis, as D. Said axis works in a suitable'bearing, secured to the body-frame A in usual manner. These pawls are of peculiar construction, being made, preferably, in the form of a springloop, as shown at D which terminates in the final detents, as D which latter directly engage with the ratchet-wheels, as O. The object of the spring-loop, as D is to impart a desirable amount of resiliency in the operation of the pawl. These pawls are hung upon their axis, as D, and at a point beyond their center of gravity, so that upon the detaining power-as, say, anclectric currentbeing cut off or released they instantly drop to their position of rest and the detents D engage with the wheels 0 and so cause the cylinders A to come to a dead stop, so arresting same at any chance point, and consequently chance number. These pawls are preferably operated and controlled by the 8 electromagnet, as E.

The machine is preferably driven by electric power, either from an installation or direct by a motor, as F, in which case, as shown, such motor conveys the motion by the belt F to the fast and loose pulleys G, which are keyed onto an intermediate shaft, as G. This latter shaft carries the necessary number of driving wheels, as J, which by means of the belting J transmit the motion to the 5 wheels B, as above mentioned. In order to increase and intensify the element of chance, the diameters of these wheels J are so arranged that the respective cylinders run at different speeds, and, further, by means of too cross-belts each cylinder rotates in an opposite direction to its own immediate neighbor, with the result that the stopping-point is rendered difficult, if not impossible, of calculation by ordinary or reasonable means.

The face-plate L of the apparatus is formed with openings, as L, through which the numerals are exposed and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

The mechanism is inclosed within a casing of any suitable or artistic design and of a sufficient height in order that the exposed numbers may be clearly seen by those present.

It is apparent that the machine may be rotated by other means than that shown-as, say, by clockwork or by weights and springs or other well-known mechanical equivalents; but I find electricity to be the most suitable as the operative power.

The manner of using this invention as shown and when operated by electricity is mainly as follows: The machine is put in electric connection with the driving power-as, say, a motor, as Fwhereupon the player operates same by means of a switch placed upon a table or elsewhere and at a suitable distance from the machine. Assume that four cylinders A are used, each periphery of which shows the numerals O to 9. The machine is now started by the operator from the switch, and the detents D are raised, and the cylinders are at the same time made to revolve at various speeds and in alternating opposite directions, as above mentioned. After any number of rotations the current is cut olf at will by the player at the switch, which upon being reversed first cuts off the current and then causes the electromagnet E to release the pawls D, so that the detents D fall each into a recess in its own ratchet-wheel, as O. The cylinders A therefore come to a dead stop and in astraight line, so that the numerals, as 3,087, are exposed through the openings L of the face-plate L, and which number-three thousand and eighty-seven-constitutes the result or winning number of the game.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the number of cylinders used or to the number of numerals or nature of the signs employed on each cylinder or to the operative means for working the machine; but,

Having now particularly described and as certained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, a series of disks, a shaft supporting the same to rotate freely, a driveshaft, the differential driving means between the said drive-shaft and the several disks, the toothed wheels carried by the disks and the detents for engaging said toothed wheels, with means for controlling said detents to act simultaneously upon the toothed wheels to stop the several disks in whatever chance relation they may be,substantiall y as described.

2. In combination, a series of disks, a shaft supporting the same to rotate freely, a driveshaft, difierential driving means between the said driveshaft and the several disks, the toothed wheels carried by the disks, the detents for engaging said toothed wheels, means for controlling said detents to act simultaneously upon the toothed wheels to stop the several disks in whatever chance relation they may be, said means comprising electromagnets, an electric motor for driving the drive shaft and a switch controlling the current to the electromagnets and the motor, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE MCMULLEN.

Witnesses RICHARD SPARROW, THOS. .TAoKMAN. 

